1 And David assembled all the princes of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the captains of the companies that ministered to the king by course, and the captains over the thousands, and captains over the hundreds, and the stewards over all the substance and possession of the king, and of his sons, with the officers, and with the mighty men, and with all the valiant men, unto Jerusalem. |
2 Then David the king stood up upon his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren, and my people: As for me, I had in mine heart to build an house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and for the footstool of our God, and had made ready for the building: |
3 But God said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house for my name, because thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood. |
4 Howbeit the LORD God of Israel chose me before all the house of my father to be king over Israel for ever: for he hath chosen Judah to be the ruler; and of the house of Judah, the house of my father; and among the sons of my father he liked me to make me king over all Israel: |
5 And of all my sons, (for the LORD hath given me many sons,) he hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel. |
6 And he said unto me, Solomon thy son, he shall build my house and my courts: for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. |
7 Moreover I will establish his kingdom for ever, if he be constant to do my commandments and my judgments, as at this day. |
8 Now therefore in the sight of all Israel the congregation of the LORD, and in the audience of our God, keep and seek for all the commandments of the LORD your God: that ye may possess this good land, and leave it for an inheritance for your children after you for ever. |
9 And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever. |
10 Take heed now; for the LORD hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary: be strong, and do it. |
11 Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, and of the inner parlours thereof, and of the place of the mercy seat, |
12 And the pattern of all that he had by the spirit, of the courts of the house of the LORD, and of all the chambers round about, of the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries of the dedicated things: |
13 Also for the courses of the priests and the Levites, and for all the work of the service of the house of the LORD, and for all the vessels of service in the house of the LORD. |
14 He gave of gold by weight for things of gold, for all instruments of all manner of service; silver also for all instruments of silver by weight, for all instruments of every kind of service: |
15 Even the weight for the candlesticks of gold, and for their lamps of gold, by weight for every candlestick, and for the lamps thereof: and for the candlesticks of silver by weight, both for the candlestick, and also for the lamps thereof, according to the use of every candlestick. |
16 And by weight he gave gold for the tables of shewbread, for every table; and likewise silver for the tables of silver: |
17 Also pure gold for the fleshhooks, and the bowls, and the cups: and for the golden basons he gave gold by weight for every bason; and likewise silver by weight for every bason of silver: |
18 And for the altar of incense refined gold by weight; and gold for the pattern of the chariot of the cherubims, that spread out their wings, and covered the ark of the covenant of the LORD. |
19 All this, said David, the LORD made me understand in writing by his hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern. |
20 And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD. |
21 And, behold, the courses of the priests and the Levites, even they shall be with thee for all the service of the house of God: and there shall be with thee for all manner of workmanship every willing skilful man, for any manner of service: also the princes and all the people will be wholly at thy commandment. |
28 David declares to the general assembly, that God had appointed Solomon to succeed him and to build the temple, Ch1 28:1-7.
Exhorts the people and Solomon, to cleave to God, Ch1 28:8-10.
Delivers to him the model and materials for the temple, Ch1 28:11-19.
Encourages him to begin and finish the work, Ch1 28:20-21.
28:1 And David assembled, etc - A great deal of business David had done in his day. And the nearer he comes to his end, the more busy he is,still endeavouring to do his work with all his might. He is now recoveredfrom the weakness mentioned Ki1 1:1. He therefore improves hisrecovery, as giving him an opportunity of doing God and his country alittle more service.
28:2 Stood - Out of reverence to God and respect to this great and honourable assembly. Brethren - So he calls the princes and chiefrulers, both because they had a share with him, though under him in thegovernment; and in compliance with the Divine command, that the kingshould not be lifted up above his brethren; Deu 17:20.Of rest - A place where it might be fixed, and no more removed from placeto place, as it had been. Foot - stool - An house for the ark is herestyled an house for the foot - stool of our God. Heaven is his throne:the earth and the most magnificent temples thereon are but his foot - stool.So much difference is there between the manifestations of his glory, in theupper and in the lower world!
28:6 My house, etc - So was he a figure of him that was to come, who is both the founder and the foundation of the gospel - temple.
28:7 At this day - As he hath begun. This promise is absolute with regard to the Messiah, but conditional, with regard to Solomon.If we are constant in our duty, then and not otherwise, we may expectthe continuance of his favour.
28:8 Of our God - I exhort and charge you every one, calling God who is here present, and this congregation wherein all Israel are present bytheir representatives, or witness against you, if you do not follow mycounsel. Keep and seek - Keep those commands which you know, andseek for, or search into what you are yet ignorant of, that you maydistinctly understand the whole will of God, and seriously give yourselvesto the practice of it. God's commandments cannot be kept without great care.
28:9 Know - So as to love and serve him. Words of knowledge in scripture - use commonly imply affection and practice. Or, acknowledgehim, as thy God, by loving and obeying him. Searcheth - If thou dost onlyput on a profession of religion to please me, or if thy obedience to Godbe unsincere, thou mayest indeed deceive me, but thou canst not deceivehim, for he searcheth the motions of thy heart.Cast thee off - Notwithstanding all his promises to me and to my seed,and that great honour and favour which he hath shewed thee.
28:10 The sanctuary - For the ark to dwell in. Be strong - Take courage to break through all difficulties. Without this, we cando no work of God as we ought.
28:11 The porch - Of the temple. The houses - The houses of the temple, namely, the holy place, and the holy of holies.Parlours - Those rooms which were made against the wall of the houseround about, Ki1 6:5.The place - In what particular part of the holy of holies it wasto be placed.
28:12 By the spirit - All the particulars of the tabernacle built by Moses were suggested to him by God's spirit, and it is not crediblethat God would use less care and exactness in the building of this farmore glorious and durable work. All this, it seems, was given him inwriting, probably by the ministry of an angel. The temple was to be asacred thing, a type of Christ, of his church, and of heaven. Thereforeit was not to be contrived by man's invention, but to be framed by divineinstitution. So Christ, the true temple, the church, the gospel - temple,and heaven, the everlasting temple, are all framed according to the divinecounsels, and the plan laid before the world began. It is supposed, thetabernacle of Moses, with all its utensils, being wanted no more, was laidup here.
28:15 According, etc - Whether they were fixed in one place, whereof there were ten in the holy place, or to be carried from place to place.
28:16 The tables - There were divers tables to be used about the shew - bread; but one of them seems to have been of more eminency than therest, and therefore it is commonly called the table of the shew - breadin the singular number.
28:18 Refined gold - Purer than any of the rest. For that was typical of the intercession of Christ, than which nothing can be more pure andperfect. The cherubim - Which Solomon was to make, (for those whichwere fastened to the mercy - seat were made by Moses long before) whichhe fitly compares to a chariot, because within them God is said tosit and to dwell. And because a chariot is made to carry aperson from place to place, this expression may be used to intimate thatGod was not so fixed to them by the building of this temple, but that hewould remove from them if they forsook him. Covered - Not above it, forthat was done by Moses's cherubim, but before it, to keep it from theeyes of the high - priest, when he entered into the most holy place.
28:19 In writing - God revealed this to some man of God, who put it into writing, and by him to David. Or, God did, as it were, by hisown hand, (where - with he wrote the Ten Commandments) write these thingsupon the table of his mind.
28:20 My God - Whom I have chosen and served, who has all along been with me and prospered me, I recommend thee to him; he will be with thee,to strengthen, direct and prosper thee. The God that owned our fathers,and carried them thro' the services of their day, will, in like manner,if we are faithful to him, go along with us in our day, and will neverfail us. God never leaves any, unless they first leave him.